I Wish More Parents Encouraged Mistakes!

Jack Canfield has written the modern day version of ‘Think and Grow Rich’ in his book “The Success Principles.”

In his book he has some great business principles and some wonderful stories.

I found one story in particular interesting, very entertaining and enlightening.

This is a story about parenting and the effects parents can have on their children.

Here is a short excerpt of his story.

One of my favorite stories is about a famous research scientists who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. He was being interviewed by newspaper reporter, asked him why he thought he was able to achieve so much more than the average person. In other words, what set him so far apart from others?

He responded that it all came from a lesson his mother had told him when he was two years old. He’s been trying to take a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator, when he lost his grip and spilled entire contents on the kitchen floor. His mother, instead of scolding, said, “What a wonderful miss you’ve made!  I’ve rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage is already done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk before we clean it up?”

Indeed, he did. And, after a few minutes, his mother continued, “You know, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a towel, sponge, or mop. Which do you prefer?”

After they were finished cleaning up the milk, she said, “What we have here is a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let’s go out in the backyard, fill the bottle with water, and see if we can discover a way to carry it without dropping it. “And they did.

What a wonderful lesson!

The scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t have to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes are just opportunities for learning something new – which, after all, is what scientific experiments are or about. – by Jack Canfield “The Success Principles” pages 107-108

What if we looked at our lives as one giant experiment. Where we are permitted to make mistakes.

Where we are granted the opportunity to learn from those mistakes and move forward.

Most of the time you learn more from your mistakes than your successes.

If we teach our children that there is no such thing as a mistake but an opportunity to do  it another way.

What will that do their self-esteem, confidence and creativity?

Can you imagine?